PURPLE HAZE ATPOLITE PROVISIONS

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a cocktail more iconic than the
martini. Whether you prefer vodka or gin, shaken or stirred, Tony’s
Martini Bar in Ocean Beach has you covered. If it’s entertainment you’re
after, take in a cabaret show at Martinis Above Fourth in Hillcrest.
Tiki bars, once a relic of times gone by, are making a comeback. Try a
fresh take on a tropical drink at The Grass Skirt in Pacific Beach, Cat
Eye Club downtown, or False Idol, hidden away inside another hot
spot, Craft & Commerce. The tiki trend has never gone out of style at
Shelter Island mainstay Bali Hai, which has been serving up mai tais
for over 60 years. Take a trip back in time to the Prohibition era at one
of San Diego’s several speakeasys—if you can find them. Look for the
appropriately named Prohibition behind the door to “Law Office, Eddie
O’Hare, Esq.” on Fifth Avenue. Head to Neighborhood Bar and stroll
past unassuming patrons to The Noble Experiment, but note that this
exclusive, elusive haunt requires reservations. And inside what appears
to be a walk-in freezer at Hillcrest’s Tacos Libertad lies Caché, inspired by
Belle Époque Paris.

NEW WAVE

One of the most buzzed about new spots is Raised by Wolves, a high-design cocktail bar and retail store inside Westfield UTC mall.

Creative cocktails and vegan cuisine go hand-in-hand at South Park
favorite Kindred.Sycamore Den’s sippers find inspiration in Mexican
ingredients: There’s fresh cilantro, serrano pepper and pineapple in the
tequila-based Femme Sauvage; savory chamoy sauce in a smoky mezcal-and-watermelon tipple called Desert Crossing; and passionfruit cayenne syrup in the Crime of
Passion. Starlite, Madison on Park, The Lion’s Share and The Smoking Gun are also known
for their clever cocktail concoctions. Distilleries have been appearing around the city
recently, too. Try house-made vodka and gin at You & Yours, cold-pressed coffee liqueur at

Old Harbor Distilling Co. or flavored vodkas and canned cocktails at Cutwater Spirits.

Beer isn’t San Diego’s only claim to fame.Our craft cocktail scene is off the charts.Spirited Away